Safety while travelling in Poland Posted by Kasia on Dec 20, 2010
It is not possible to say that Poland is a safer country for visitors or for doing business in than any of the other UE countries. Any violence or theft or a feeling of personal discomfort or danger can occur in many places and foreigners can sometimes wonder if they are safe or not. A…
Smoking and drinking Posted by Kasia on Dec 17, 2010
Every time my husband and I visit Poland and we go out, the most annoying thing to me at the restaurants is that you can smoke in 99% of them and there are usually no “no smoking” sections. I don’t want to discriminate smokers, but I hate when I’m having lunch or dinner and someone…
Polish Literature, Literatura Polska – Part 2 Posted by Kasia on Dec 14, 2010
Last time we talked about the early history of Polish literature. I promised we would continue, so let’s start with Enlightenment and the 19th Century. The Enlightenment (Oświecenie) and particularly the reign of the last king of Poland, Stanisław August Poniatowski, was an important period in the development of Polish literature. The first Polish novel…
Polish Literature, Literatura Polska – Part 1 Posted by Kasia on Dec 10, 2010
Today I wanted to talk about such an important subject for people from Poland and not only from Poland. Polish literature has always been inextricably linked to the historical development of the country as the political situation, particularly over the last two centuries, has not always favored freedom of speech. Many writers (pisarze) were forced…
Sports in Poland Posted by Kasia on Dec 7, 2010
Poland’s number one sport is soccer (piłka nożna), even though the boys in red and white continually fail to match the performance of the Polish national team (Polska drużyna narodowa) in the 1970s and 1980s. The supporters in Poland hope that the European Soccer Championship finals organized jointly with Ukraine in 2012, the first sporting…
Imieniny Posted by Kasia on Dec 3, 2010
Name days (imieniny) in Poland are very special occasions and are more important than Birthdays. It is traditional to call and wish the person Wszystkiego Najlepszego. It is also traditional to give a small gift. The gifts (prezenty) typically are roses or other flowers (kwiaty) and small gifts of candy, glass vases (szklane wazy)…
Etiquette in Poland Posted by Kasia on Nov 30, 2010
Poland is fast becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination especially amongst young travelers and backpackers. Poland’s cultural heritage is diverse with its fusion of east-meets-west, and is home to many historically significant towns with distinctive architecture. When you take into account that it also has a great many skiing and Baltic beach resorts, as well…